The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-07-01
Prison Life in Siberia.

ITlSOh 1lIe III olDeFlds
Prison lifein Siberia is of many vari-
ties, according to tks offences Of differ
ent individuals and the sentences
which have been decreed ia their cases.
The lowest sentence is to simple ban
ishment for three years. and the hard
est to hard labor for life. The simple
exile without Imprisonment is appoint
ed to live in certain town, district or
province, and must report to the police
at stated intervals. He may engage in
certain specified occupations, or rather
in any occupation which is not ON d
prohibited list; for example, he may
te ach music or painting, but may not
teach languages, as they afford the
opportunity for propagating revolution
ary ideas. He may become merchant,
farmer mechanic, contractor, or any
thing else Of that sort. and it not infre-
quently happens that exiles enjoy
81 prosperity III their new iiiioIft5s
that they did not have in European
Russia. Exiles and their sons have
become millionaires in Siberia; form
er Vanderbilt of Likoutsk, the capital
OF eastern Siberia, was the son OF an
exile serf, his enormous fortune having
been gained in the overland tea trade
Many exiles become SO attached TO Si-
beria that they remain there after their
term OF banishment is ended, but IL
should be understood that their cases
ara tho axaapfioo 20 fhav. fl,.,, tto -. n.
The wife and immature children of an
exile sEaasy follow or accom- pan,y him AZ
the expense of the government, but
cannot return to Europe until his term
of service has expired. The object of
exile is to furnish population to this
sparsely inhabitated region, and it goes
without saying that a family man is
much more likely to be a good citizen
when his wife and children are with
him than when they are thousands of
miles away. The name of .'prisoner'
or "exile' il never applied to the ban
ished individuals; in the language OF
the people they are called s'untortu-
mates, and in official documents they
are termed involuntary emigrants. Z
OF those sentenced to forced labor.
some are ordered to become oolonists:
they are furnished with the tools and
materials for building house on a
plot of ground allotted to them. and for
three years can receive rations from
the nearest government station; but
when the shree years have expired they
are expected to support themselves
II they were sent to the southern and
western fertile spots Of Siberia, their
lot would not be severe one, but the
most of these colonists are assigned to
the northern regions, where the sup
port of life from tilling the soil or
from hunting and fishing IS matter Of
great difficulty. Those who are kept
in prison and sentenced to hard labor
are employed in mines. mills, foundries
or on the public roads; many of them
wear chains which extend from d
girdle around the waist to each ankle,
and effectually preclude the possibility
of running away. Their life is q
hard one, as their food is coarse and
often limited in quantity; IL is bad
enough under kind-hearted overseers
and superintendents, and terrible
where the masters are cruel, which
happens altogether too often. In the
time of the first Alexander aud the
Emperor Nicholas the treatment OF the
prisoners in Siberia was more severe
than at present but even to-day there
Is great opportunity for amelioration.